Role

:

Composer Conductor  

Country

:

Japan

Birth

:

April 22, 1932 in Tokyo, Japan

Death

:

May 5, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

Tomita, born Isao Tomita on April 22, 1932, was a Japanese composer, arranger, and synthesizer pioneer who became known for his innovative electronic music. He was born in Tokyo, Japan, and grew up in a musical family. His father was a doctor and amateur violinist, and his mother was a pianist. Tomita began playing the piano at a young age and showed an early interest in music. Tomita studied composition and orchestration at the Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo. After graduating, he worked as a composer and arranger for various Japanese television and film productions. In the 1960s, he became interested in electronic music and began experimenting with synthesizers. In 1972, Tomita released his debut album, "Snowflakes Are Dancing," which featured his electronic arrangements of Claude Debussy's piano works. The album was a critical and commercial success, and it won a Grammy Award for Best New Classical Artist. Tomita's use of synthesizers to create orchestral sounds was groundbreaking, and he became known as a pioneer of electronic music. Tomita continued to release albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including "Pictures at an Exhibition," which featured his electronic arrangements of Modest Mussorgsky's piano suite. The album was another critical and commercial success, and it won a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Recording, Classical. Tomita also composed music for films, including the Japanese science fiction film "The War in Space" and the American film "The Bermuda Depths." He also collaborated with other musicians, including the Japanese composer and pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto. In addition to his music career, Tomita was also a collector of antique instruments and musical artifacts. He opened the Tomita Museum in Tokyo in 1999, which featured his collection of over 200 instruments and artifacts from around the world. Tomita continued to perform and release albums into the 21st century. In 2012, he released "Dr. Coppelius," which featured his electronic arrangements of music from the ballet "Coppélia." The album was well-received by critics and fans alike. Tomita passed away on May 5, 2016, at the age of 84. His innovative use of synthesizers and electronic music had a profound impact on the classical music world, and he will be remembered as a pioneer and visionary in the field.

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